The present invention relates generally to games and/or puzzles that in order to be played successfully depend on a player""s memory and speed so as to correctly answer questions generated by other players.
Many commercially packaged games available today comprise a game board, multiple game pieces and a series of cards with questions on them, which questions have been prepared in advance by the game designer. A player selects a card from the deck and asks the question on the card to the other players. If a player answers the question correctly, then he or she is allowed to take a turn and advance his or her game piece around the game board. If the player does not answer the question correctly, then that player may, for example, lose a turn.
Other games are known that require the game players to generate their own questions. For example, one game, sometimes referred to as the dictionary game, requires that one player review a dictionary, select a word from it, and announce the selected word to the other players. Then, the other players prepare a written definition for that word. After the allotted amount of time has passed, the players forward their written definitions to one player, who then reads all of the definitions aloud. Then, each player votes for the definition that he or she believes is the correct definition. The player who wrote the definition receiving the most votes scores a predetermined number of points.
Additional games are disclosed in various U.S. patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,635, issued to Enokian on May 5, 1987, involves the display of a play from a live sports event through the use of a video tape, video machine and television. An electronic control console responds to numbers that are selected by the players to determine the play that is then played over the video machine. Once the play occurs, the player advances in the game according to the results of the play. Players take turns until one player ultimately wins the sports game that is being displayed over the video. For example, if the game is a football game, when a player selects a play and his team advances the ball, the ball will be advanced on the game board until such time as the player scores a touchdown. The game is set with time limits and the winner will be the person who has the highest score at the end of the time limit. This patent fails to teach the use of an interactive game that is based on a participant""s observation of a played portion of a video tape, wherein the player answers a question based on the played portion.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,382 to Rubin is directed to an electronic card reader and financial asset game. The game employs a computer that reads cards that are inserted into the computer to control the activities that the players perform on a separate game board. The Rubin patent fails to disclose, however, an interactive game that is based on a participant""s observation of a played portion of a video tape, wherein the player answers a question based on the played portion.
Two patents, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,393,071 and 5,393,072, are both directed to a talking video game with cooperative action; however, they do not involve watching a portion of a movie video or asking and answering questions based on that played portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,702,305 to Norman et al discloses an interactive electronic game. This game requires a computer to control the interaction between the players. However, it does not involve the observation of a played portion of a movie video and asking and answering questions based on that played portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,839 to Katsion et al teaches a xe2x80x9cmovie gamexe2x80x9d having a plurality of playing cards, wherein each card has a picture of an actor or actress on one side and a list of movies in which the actor or actress has appeared on the opposite side. The players are shown only the actor""s or actress"" picture and then, during the allotted time, they take turns identifying movies in which the actor or actress has appeared. Then, if a player""s answer matches one of the movies listed on the opposite side of the card, the player earns a point.
The American public loves to watch motion pictures. Printed magazines and TV-magazine type shows, although numerous, still do seem to satisfy the public""s interest in movies and movie stars. Nonetheless, Applicant is unaware of any conventional games involving the use of both a game board and pre-recorded media, such as a movie videotape, DVD or other digitally-formatted recorded media. Nor do conventional games involve a combination of activities, such as viewing a portion of pre-recorded media and asking questions generated by the players based on the viewed portion of the pre-recorded media.
What is desired, therefore, is a game that utilizes both a game board and pre-recorded media, such as a video cassette, that involves viewing a portion of a video cassette and asking questions generated by the players based on the viewed portion of the video cassette, that is both easy and fun to play, and that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a game and a method for playing the game, wherein the game utilizes both a game board and pre-recorded media, such as a video cassette.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a game and method for playing the game that involves viewing a portion of a video cassette and asking a question generated by a player based on the viewed portion of the cassette.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a game and a method for playing the game that is both easy and fun to play.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a game that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
To overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and to achieve the objects and advantages discussed above, a game kit and method for playing the game is disclosed. The game kit comprises a game board, a plurality of game pieces, a timer, a die, a plurality writing of implements, pads of paper, and a plurality of coins and tokens.
The game board has a plurality of defined spaces around its perimeter. Instructions are written on each of the game board spaces, such as collect a particular type of token. Other instructions may include, for example, xe2x80x9croll again.xe2x80x9d
After the game board is set up, each player selects a unique and corresponding game piece to represent that player""s position on the game board.
One player assumes the role of Producer. The Producer starts and monitors the timer. The Producer also distributes and exchanges tokens and coins to each player based on the instructions on the space on the game board upon which that player""s unique and corresponding game piece is stationed.
After the Producer starts the timer, the players play a portion of a pre-recorded media, such as a video tape, until the timer sounds. Then, one of the players, assuming the role of Question Maker, poses a question to the other players based on the viewed portion of the video tape and formulates an answer thereto. Each of the other players formulates an answer to the question and writes it on a sheet of paper. The Question Maker then reveals his answer and the other players compare their answers with the Question Maker""s answer. Each of the other players whose answer generally matches that of the Question Maker""s answer is rewarded and is allowed to roll at least one die and move his unique and corresponding game piece a number of spaces on the game board equal to the number shown on the die. Then, that player follows the instructions shown on the space on the game board upon which his unique and corresponding game piece lands or is otherwise stationed.
The process is then repeated with a different player assuming the role of Question Maker.
When one player has accumulated a predetermined number and type of tokens, then that player is deemed to be the winner.